Improvement in trunks



UNITED STATES PATENT CEETCE.

ISAAC L. PLUMER, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,0713, dated January 16, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IsAAo L. PLUMEE, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and use; ful Improvement in Trunks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved trunk with the upper tray removed. Fig. 2 is a view of the upper tray detached.; Fig. 3,detail, showing the manner in which the upper tray is attached to the trunk.

In trunks as permanently constructed the upper tray is permanently hinged'in place by means of a strip of cloth or leather. This method is objectionable, as after a little use the tray is liable to break away from the trunk at the joint, and, being permanently hinged in place, it is liable to fall down and come in the way when the lower portion of the trunk is being packed.

To remove these difficulties is the object of my invention, which consists in making the upper tray removable and attaching it to the trunk by meansof pins and slots, so that it can be'readily taken out and packed, a-nd afterward returned to its place in the trunk.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents the lower portion of the truuk, to which is hinged the upper portion, B, in the ordinary manner. The lower edge of the portion B is cut away on each side for the reception of a narrow plate or strip of sheet metal, a, which is bent up and riveted to another metal strip, b, as seen in Fig. 3, so as to form a slot, c, and is secured in place by screws d, a notch or opening, e, being cut in the outer strip, b, to allow of the entrance of a pin, f, projecting from each side of the tray C, Fig. 2, which slides down to the bot tom of the slot, as seen in Fig. 3, and serves to hold the tray in place, when it may be swung up and down on the pins f as a center; and when it is desired to remove the tray to pack it, it is simply necessary to swing it out until the edge g clears the edge h of the upper portion, B, ofthe trunk, and raise it until the pins f are opposite to the notches c in the plates b, when it 1s free to be taken out, thus avoiding the liability of its falling down and being in the way when packing the lower portion, A, of the trunk, as frequently happens when the tray is permanently hinged in the usual manner. After packing the tray it may be readily replaced in the trunk.

When the tray C is detached the lid D may be opened, as seen in Fig. 2, and answer the purpose of a writing-desk. y

The above-described method of attaching the tray C to the trunk Ais simple, cheap, and convenient, while the liability ofits breaking away and requiring to be repaired is avoided.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Attaching the tray C to the upper portion of the trunk by means of slots and pins, substantially as described.

ISAAC L. PLUMER.

Witnesses:

P. E. TEsoHEMAoi-IER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

